The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) has been known for a number of years. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286 produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. U.K. Pat. No. 1,081,304 produced similar polymers of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of alkylphosphine complexes of palladium salts as catalyst. Nozaki extended the process to produce linear alternating polymers through the use of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. These polymers, often referred to as polyketones or polyketone polymers, have been shown to be of the repeating structure --CO--(A)-- where A is the moiety of ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation. For example, when the hydrocarbon is ethylene, the polymer is represented by the repeating formula --CO(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2). The general process for the production of such polymers is illustrated by a number of published European Patent Applications including 0,121,965 and 0,181,014. The process generally involves the use of a catalyst composition formed from a compound of palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a non-hydrohalogenic acid having a pKa below 2 and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.
The resulting polymers are relatively high molecular weight thermoplastics having utility in the production of shaped articles such as containers for food and drink and shaped parts for the automotive industry. For some particular applications it has been found to be desirable to have properties for a polymeric composition which are somewhat different from those of the polyketone polymer. It would be of advantage to retain the more desirable properties of the polyketone and yet improve other properties. These advantages are often obtained through the provision of a polymer blend.